Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo
…Yejide was created on a Saturday. When God had ample time to paint her a perfect ebony. No doubt about it. The finished work is living proof. The first time I saw her, I wanted to touch her jeans-clad knee, tell her there and then: “My name is Akin Ajayi. I am going to marry you.” I loved Yejide from the very first moment. No doubt about that. But there are things even love can’t do. Before I got married, I believed love could do anything. I learned soon enough that it couldn’t bear the weight of four years without children. If the burden is too much and stays too long, even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking and sometimes does break. But even when it’s in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer love….
Entrenched in the distinctive and unique cultural idiosyncrasies of Nigeria, Ayobami Adebayo’s debut novel, Stay With Me, is a story that connects. The simple yet intense narrative portrays the complexities of the characters- characters who could well be the people next door( that’s if you were living in Nigeria), people who are struggling with the mundane issues of family life( like so many around the world) and people who your heart goes out to.
Caught between their modern outlook and the strong cultural dictates and pressures,this first person narrative has Akin and Yejide opening up their hearts to the readers. Life, which promised to be a cakewalk, has brought them to a crossroad, where the choices they make will change the course of their life.
Through their story, Ayobami Adebayo highlights some of the issues, which though unimaginable in the west, still hold true in certain societies and communities, especially in Africa and Asia.
A heart-wrenching tale of promising love and failure. Adebayo is an author to watch out for. A welcome addition to African literature.
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